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The Bible of Cold Water Swimming – Index

Cold water swimming is difficult and requires repetition.These articles are intended to help swimmers adapt to cold water swimming. By exploring the many aspects of cold, environmental, physiological and psychological, I hope to help you understand cold and cold water swimming and therefore become a safer, better and more confident cold water swimmer.

It is really important to note that most of us are not naturally good at tolerating cold. (I certainly am not). Cold should be seen as something you train for, the same as any other aspect of your swimming.

This page is an index of my cold articles with a very brief explanation of the article so you can scan the entire list for what is most relevant.

It is the cumulative total of these articles that has led to other people’s repeated description of Loneswimmer.com as “the bible of cold water swimming“.

Cold Water Habituation. The process of getting used to getting into cold water. The original article was written in 2010 and was the first cold water article I ever wrote. It has been largely rewritten and updated.

Cold Water Acclimatization. The process of developing tolerance for staying in cold water. The original article was written in 2010 and was the second cold water article I ever wrote. It has been extensively rewritten.

“I just can’t handle the cold”. Part 1, Part 2 (What is the Vagus nerve and why is it important?), Part 3 (Fear). This is a phrase I hear a lot. Why this belief is irrelevant and why most of us are not special when it comes to cold.

Extreme Cold Water Adaptation in Humans. A five-part series trying to tease out all the various factors of cold adaptation. Part 1Asking the questions about individual variability,Part 2 (habituation and acclimatization), Part 3 (metabolic responses), Part 4 (further physiological responses), Part 5 (conclusion).

The Magic Number. A consideration of transitional temperatures in cold water swimming.

Ice Mile Dilemmas. One year, another ice Mile attempt and what seemed an inevitable destination for a cold water swimmer and writer. It become my longest ever series because of the seriousness of the pursuit.

Great site. I’m interested in water temperature and I’m currently swimming with an alcohol thermometer tied round my waist. Can anyone recommend a wrist thermometer, or a watch incorporating a thermometer? Thanks

Thanks Paul. I haven’t used wrist thermometers on swimming watches. From the experience of friends they are usually off by one to two degrees, but maybe they have improved. Possibly others will have a suggestion, but I’d ask what benefit any such provide , except to make you concentrate too much on the actual temperature and not enough on how you are feeling.

Hi, great blog, thank you.
Wondering if you would want to write an article specificly about the afterdrop. This is my first season, started in July, I swim in Vltava river in Prague Czech republic, water is 10 Celsius now, I ussually stay for 20-25 mins, get dressed quickly. I get quite a severe afterdrop after 5 mins out of the water and takes me more than an hour to get warm again. I don’t really mind that as long as it is not an indication I am doing something wrong. Thanks for your thoughts!
Libor

Hi An idea for ice mile / swim article, but this time re overseas, e.g. Polar regions swims. We all know that airmiles are contributing to the reductions of the ice at the Poles, yet people are flying (at least in part) there to take part in ice mile / km swims. A registered ice swim can now be done in many parts of the world, without requiring thousands of air miles. Is there any way these crazy trips can be banned / un-popularised / de-glamourised – call it what you will – food for thought for an article perhaps…